Today we are the Brattleboro Blog! The Chesterfield Inn, although located in New Hampshire, is a short 10 minute drive across the Connecticut River to Main Street, Brattleboro.  A Brattleboro vacation can be spent in town or on the river, the mountains, or the rambling trails in the woods. Brattleboro is a very vibrant place, with lots going on and many nooks and crannies to explore.

If you are considering visiting Brattleboro, Vermont, here are ten places to visit while you’re here.

1. Amy’s Bakery: a must for a latte and an almond horn, a baguette or for lunch.

2. Vermont Artisan Designs: chock full of the finest art and objects crafted by Vermont artisans.

3. The Book Cellar: a real independent book store, with great selection and fabulous customer service.

4. Latchis Theater: 4 screens in a a Art Deco building with movies and live shows.

5.Grafton Cheese Company: cheese factory and a shop full of edible delights

6. Brattleboro Food Coop: the place to meet the locals; much more than a grocery store.

7. Farmer’s Market: Saturdays on Route 9 in West Brattleboro in the warm months. Farmers, food and fun!

8. Walker Farm; a heavenly oasis for flowers and plants as well as fresh, organic produce seasonally.

9. Tom and Sally’s Chocolate: on Route 30, for the best chocolate and fancy candies in town.

10. Brattleboro Retreat Trails to the Retreat Tower: a wonderful walk in the woods to the tower that overlooks Brattleboro.

We’d be happy to tailor an itinerary for you to use while you’re here if you give us some idea of your interests. Just speak to anyone at the front desk!

My visit to Walker Farm today yielded a big bag of vegetables and fruits, and lots of inspiration for dinner.

I started with dessert, of course , which was minted peaches and blueberries. It just took a minute to blanch the peaches, peel and and pit them, and slice them up in a glass bowl with the blueberries and fresh mint in a simple syrup. It helps to make them a few hours ahead so the flavors have time to blend.

Then on to the main part of the meal: I sauteed some red onion and garlic until the onion began to caramelize, and added shredded zucchini, summer squash, and carrots. I stirred and sauteed that for another 5 or 10 minutes until the vegetables were soft and added salt and pepper to taste.

Then I took a handful each of green and yellow beans, tossed them in salt, pepper and olive oil, and put them on the grill until they were cooked through and slightly charred.

The corn on the cob at the farm stand was still damp with the morning dew, so I scooped up 6 ears and took them home for a little corn salad. I boiled the corn until it was tender, scraped the kernels off of the cob, and added it to onion, garlic and red pepper that I had sauteed in olive oil while the corn was cooking. I added some finely cut ribbons of basil, and salt and pepper and it was ready to eat!

The main dish for dinner was a frittata, made with fresh eggs, boiled new potatoes, onion, green pepper, black beans, cumin, cilantro, and fresh tomatoes. I started in a coated pan on the top of the stove, and finished it in the oven, adding grated cheddar at the end for a flavor jolt.

What a luxury to be able to prepare and enjoy an entire meal made with food that was grown within 10 miles of the inn!